The story of Dr Mamphela Ramphele typifies a negative aspect of South African society. This afternoon within seconds of Dr Ramphele announcing her decision to exit party politics South Africans behaved true to form. Social media is full of ridicule and derision aimed at the person of Dr Ramphele. This is a South African trait I have come to abhor. Not only do we pull each other down but once one is down we really stick the boot in. For me what really stands out is that the loudest jeers come from those who have not achieved much and those whose contribution to society is negligible. This behaviour is not limited to politics but manifests in sport, arts and entertainment. What makes us such a hateful nation? The same nay-sayers who tweet and post disparaging facebook updates are the first to wail when the target of their ridicule passes on. Once a public figure dies they are quick to gush about how that person impacted their lives, photos of the deceased soon become profile pictures. I am in no way saying we should not question the actions of public figures, nor am I saying we should not take them to task when necessary but goodness we do get personal. I guess ubuntu has evolved to mean attack umuntu (the person).
Posted on: Tue, 08 Jul 2014 14:49:48 +0000
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